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U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY— BULLETIN NO. 100, PART VI. 

B. T. GALLOWAY, Chief of Bureau. 



OECHAED GEASS 



R. A. OAKLEY, 

Assistant Agriculturist, Farm Management 
Investigations. 



Issued October 8, 1906. 




WASHINGTON: 
government printing office. 

1906. 



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U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY— BULLETIN NO. 100, PART VI. 
B. T. GALLOWAY, Chief of Bureau. 



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OECHAKD GEASS. 



.^ 



R." Ar OAKLEY, 

Assistant Agriculturist, Farm Management 
Inyestigations. 



Issued October 8, 1906. 




WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 
1906. 



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OCl Id lyotj 
0. of 0. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Introduction 5 

Methodg of culture 6 

Seeding 6 

Mixtures with red clover 7 

Mixtures with other grasses 8 

Life of meadows 9 

Uses and value 9 

Hay 9 

Pasture » 10 

Seed 10 

Harvesting the seed crop 11 

Thrashing 11 

Handling the aftergrowth 12 

Value of the straw 12 

Weeds in orchard grass seed fields 13 

Other grasses in fields intended for seed 14 

Summary - 15 

100— VI 3 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Page. 
Plate I. Fig. 1. — Harvesting orchard grass for seed. Fig. 2. — Method of 

shocking orchard grass; shocks showing bands at top 10 

4 

100— VI 



B. P. I.— 230. 



ORCHARD grass; 



INTRODUCTION. 

Orchard grass {Dactylis glomerata L.) is a well-known standard 
grass which is grown to some extent in every State in the Union and 
quite commonly in the region east of the Mississippi River and north 
of the northern portions of Alabama and Georgia. It attains most 
importance, however, in Kentucky, southern Indiana, Tennessee, 
North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland, and seems 
quite thoroughly adapted to a variety of soils in these States. 

It may be said that the general opinion of farmers in regard to the 
value of orchard grass either for ha}'' or pasture is quite unfavorable. 
This unfavoi-able opinion, which is due somewhat to prejudice, exists 
to a greater extent in the timothy region than elsewhere, and as the 
limits of this region are reached and crossed orchard grass is much 
more highly regarded. The objectionable features of the grass are in 
general its bunch}^ habit, coarseness, and the unpalatability of its hay 
unless cut at the proper state of maturity. These objectionable 
features are not alone the cause of its unpopularity or the reason why 
it is not grown more generally. There is no doubt that orchard grass 
could be grown very successfully throughout the greater portion of 
the timothy region, but as the demand for any hay except timoth}^ is 
very limited farmers see little inducement for them to raise it. On 

« In connection with the general plan of the Farm Management work it is contem- 
plated to take up the study of various seed crops. Much interest is now being mani- 
fested in better seeds for the farmer. This is especially true of forage-crop seeds, 
including both grasses and clovers. Mr. Oakley's paper, which is contributed from 
the Office of Farm Management, conducted under the direction of Prof. W. J. Spill- 
man, is a valuable contribution to the methods followed in growing orchard grass 
for hay, for pasture, and for seed. Special attention is called to the fact that orchard 
grass seed as usually grown is for all practical purposes pure. The investigations of 
this Bureau have shown that considerable quantities of the seed of this grass found 
in the market contain seed of other and less desirable, cheaper grasses That the 
seeds of these cheaper forms have been added for the purpose of adulteration seems 
evident from the fact that the grasses bearing them are not found in orchard grass 
fields to any extent worth mentioning. — B. T. Galloway, Chief of the Bureau of 
Plant Industry. 

100— VI 5 



6 ORCHARD GRASS. 

account of its maturing well with a number of other very valuable 
grasses and clovers its popularity may in time increase as the advan- 
tages of such mixtures become more generally appreciated. 

Orchard grass is exceedingly variable and offers a large field for 
selection and breeding. Its variable characters of most importance 
are its coarseness, bunchiness, and time of maturing. By consistent 
selection with special 'reference to the first two characters valuable 
strains may in time be developed which will not possess the objection- 
~able features of the common orchard grass now being grown. 

METHODS OF CULTURE. 

SEEDING. 

While there are some methods that are generally employed in the 
culture of orchard grass, still there is a great difference of opinion 
even among the most successful growers in any one locality as to the 
best practices. In the seed-producing section of Kentucky and Indi- 
ana it is the common custom to sow the grass in February on fall 
wheat at the rate of from three pecks to one bushel to the acre. Since 
the crop in this section is almost entirely harvested for seed, it is not 
considered desirable to sow more than a bushel. In years past as 
much as two bushels to the acre were sown, but it is now the gen- 
eral opinion that one bushel is sufficient, and even less is often 
used. A bushel of orchard grass seed weighs 14 pounds. Orchard 
grass to give large yields of seed should be reasonably thin, as 
it produces more abundantly when in this condition. It is usually 
sown broadcast, as it does not feed out well through a press drill, 
either by hand or with a wheelbarrow or other type of seeder, and is 
covered very shallow. Good results are often obtained by not cover- 
ing the seed, and it is quite a common opinion that too deep covering- 
is the cause of many of the failures to secure a stand. 

A method of seeding which is often followed in the section men- 
tioned is to scatter the orchard grass straw from which the seed has 
been thrashed on ground that has been sown to wheat. This is usually 
done in February. The straw acts as a mulch in this case and the seed 
needs no covering. It is very essential that it be scattered evenly and 
very thin; otherwise the stand will be too thick and unsatisfactory. 
The greatest objection to this practice is that unless the straw is very 
clean the meadow is sure to be weedy, and some are of the opin- 
ion that since the seed that is left in the straw or blown over with it 
is mostly of poor quality a field of inferior and unequally maturing 
grass will be the result. 

Orchard grass may be sown successfully after corn by splitting the 
rows with a disk harrow as soon as the crop is removed. This may 
be done any time during the month of October, and in February or as 

100— YI 



MIXTURES WITH EED GLOVER. 



soon as the weather is favorable the grass may be sown with a broad- 
cast seeder at the ordinary rate, and the ground being uneven at this 
time the freezing and thawing which follow will cover the seed suffi- 
ciently. Disking seems to give much better results than plowing, 
since the ground if plowed will not have time to thoroughly settle 
before the time of seeding. Rolling would doubtless be beneficial 
after seeding in this manner. 

In western Virginia and in Tennessee orchard grass is commonly 
sown the latter part of September or the first of October with wheat 
on the ground at the rate of a bushel and a half to two bushels to the 
acre, the wheat being drilled in at the rate of three to five pecks to the 
acre and the grass sown either broadcast by hand, with a broadcast 
seeder, or an attachment to the drill, and covered as shallow as possible. 

Orchard grass is often sown with oats, usually in March, on ground 
that has been previously in wheat and which has been plowed the pre- 
ceding autumn. A half seeding of oats is usually sown in this case, 
and gives as a result only a fair crop. The grass, however, makes 
more pasture the first season as a rule than when sown with a full 
seeding of either wheat or oats. Early fall seeding with winter oats 
in sections where the latter can be grown may be depended upon to 
give good results, but on account of the Hessian fly it is not possible 
to sow it with wheat much before October. 

A crop of hay is not expected the first season, whether the grass is 
sown in the fall or spring, either alone or with a nurse crop. If sown 
alone a light cutting may be secured, provided the conditions are 
favorable, in the latter part of August or September; but in general 
the grass is pastured and not cut except at the time when the grain 
which is sown with it is harvested. The following season it makes a 
crop of either hay or seed, as is desired. There may be some advan- 
tage in sowing the grass alone for the extra quantity of forage pro- 
duced the first year, but whether this and any other advantages that 
may come from seeding in this way will compensate for the profit 
accruing from the nurse crop is an undecided question. 



MIXTURES WITH RED CLOVER. 



Throughout almost the entire region where orchard grass is grown ' 
it is quite a common practice to sow red clover with it. This practice 
is a good one, not only for the value of the red clover in maintaining 
the soil fertility, but also for the fact that its presence greatly improves 
the orchard grass either for hay or pasture. In the seed-producing 
sections red clover is a menace to the seed crop, especially the first and 
second years. As it is impossible to cut the orchard grass above the 
clover, the leaves and heads get mixed in with the seed and are difficult 
to separate from it. Although the presence of the leaves in the 



100— VI 



8 OEOHAED GRASS. 

orchard grass seed materially decreases its commercial value, the 
advantage of having the clover in the field more than compensates for 
this. 

In sections where the grass is grown for hay and pasture, red clover 
is sown at the rate of one bushel to 5 or 7 acres, usually as early in 
the spring as the weather will permit. It is, however, sometimes sown 
in the autumn at the same time as the orchard grass, but the seed of 
the two are not mixed, as they do not feed evenly through the drill or 
seeder. In cases where clover is sown in the spring on orchard grass 
that has been sown the fall before, it is either covered lightly by means 
of a drag harrow or left uncovered. Less clover is sown to the acre 
in seed-producing sections than where the grass is intended for hay or 
pasture, the customary quantity being one bushel to 8 or 10 acres. 
In these sections the first crop is frequently cut for hay on account of 
its containing so much clover. The second crop usually contains very 
much less and is cut for seed, as are also the following crops, since 
the clover at the end of two years usually disappears. Pasturing the 
field appears to materially increase the longevity of the clover, and it 
is not uncommon to see meadows that are 6 or 7 years old containing 
almost as much clover as they did the first year. 

Much trouble is now being experienced in securing a catch of red 
clover throughout the greater part of the region where it is grown. 
As a result alsike is being substituted in some sections, and where it 
has been tried thoroughly it is giving good results. This difficulty in 
growing red clover will doubtless soon become a serious proposition, 
especially in seed-producing sections, and unless alsike or some similar 
leguminous crop can be grown it will be only a few years until more 
barnyard manure or commercial fertilizer will have to be used. At 
the present time there is very little commercial fertilizer applied to 
orchard grass, although it is the opinion of some of the more success- 
ful growers that an application of about 200 pounds of good fertilizer 
in the spring, just as the grass begins to grow, would yield profitable 
results. 

MIXTURES WITH OTHER GRASSES. 

On account of the bunchy tendency of orchard grass it is often 
' desirable to mix it with other grasses for hay or pasture, and while 
this has not been practiced as 3^et to any great extent the results 
obtained from such mixtures are very promising. Aside from affect- 
ing the palatability of the grass, the mixtures have a tendency to 
increase the yield. Orchard grass matures well with tall meadow oat- 
grass and meadow fescue, and in some localities in Tennessee a mix- 
ture of it with the latter is attracting considerable attention, especially 
for pasture. Doubtless in time orchard grass will be more generally 
grown for hay and pasture in mixtures with these or other grasses. 

100— VI 



USES AND VALUE. V 

LIFE OF MEADOWS. 

Orchard grass is a more hardy and permaneDt grass than timothy, 
and as a result remains productive in a meadow under most conditions 
much longer. In the principal sections where it is grown the average 
life of a meadow is from five to seven years, although it is a question 
whether it might not be broken up profitably at the end of four years. 
Throughout almost its entire region Kentucky bluegrass is its natural 
enemy and works in around the bunches almost to its ultimate exclu- 
sion. Redtop and Canada bluegrass also are present in many sections 
with the Kentucky bluegrass, and at the end of five or six years these 
three grasses are greatly in the majority. Pasturing seems to facili- 
tate the growth of the bluegrass, inasmuch as it has a tendency to 
cause the orchard grass to become more bunchy, and it is also a means 
of spreading the bluegrass seed. During the last year of its existence 
it is customary to pasture the orchard grass field, and late in the 
autumn or early in the winter it is broken up and is planted to corn 
the following spring. It is well to have the field broken up as early as 
possible so as to give the sod time to rot sufficiently before planting 
the corn. 

USES AND VALUE. 

HAY. 

According to chemical analysis orchard grass hay should be equal, 
if not superior, to timothy, but in real practice it does not seem to be 
able to successfully compete with the latter. In large cities there is 
practically no demand for any hay except timothy, and the demand for 
orchard grass hay is only local and very limited. In the timothy 
region orchard grass is looked upon very unfavorably, but where 
timothy can not be grown so successfully its ha}^ is used to a greater 
extent and is considered of very good quality. 

As previously stated, orchard grass should be sown thicker when 
desired for hay than for seed, 2 bushels of good seed to the acre 
being usually required, for unless thick it becomes coarse and woody. 
Its value as hay is increased by the addition of red clover or alsike, 
and where it has been sown with other grasses, such as tall meadow 
oat-grass or meadow fescue, its quality seems to be improved by such 
mixtures. The state of maturity at which the grass makes the best 
hay is when it is just in bloom. Not only does the quality seem to be 
better at this time, but the yield is also at the maximum. 

In some sections it is considered a good hay for horses, but it is of 
more value for cattle, and especially for fattening them for the market. 
As a feed for sheep it is of only fair quality. The value of the hay 
depends not only on the state of maturity at which it is cut, but also 
on the bunchiness and coarseness of the grass. These characteristics 

100— VI 



10 OECHAED GEASS. 

are influenced largely by the method of culture, and it is often for the 
reason that farmers do not thoroughly understand growing it that they 
condemn it as a hay grass. Seeding evenly with the proper quantity 
of seed and careful pasturing are important factors in securing a 
good meadow. 

PASTURE. 

For pasture, orchard grass gives best results in mixtures with other 
grasses and clovers, and is of special importance from the fact that it 
can be grazed early and late in the season. It is quite a valuable grass 
if for no other reason than this. It also stands grazing fairly well. 
It must, however, be closely pastured; otherwise it will become too 
coarse and woody, and stock will not eat it. Stock do not relish the 
mature grass, and invariably lose flesh when turned on a field in this 
condition. To secure best results from pastures, they should be mowed 
some time during June to keep down the weeds, and again later as 
needed. In this way they are kept clean and more productive. Blue- 
grass and white clover are usually very prominent in most orchard 
grass pastures and are valuable additions, as they grow between the 
bunches of the orchard grass, thus increasing the yield. The white 
clover is also of value in maintaining soil fertility. 

SEED. 

Orchard grass seed is produced to some extent throughout the entire 
region in which it is grown. There is quite a quantity raised in west- 
ern Virginia, but the greatest seed-producing area is in the vicinity of 
Louisville, including Jefferson, Oldham, and Shelby counties, Ky., 
Clark County, Ind., and some of the counties adjoining those 
in both States mentioned. Just why there is more seed pro- 
duced in this section than elsewhere is not definitely known. Some 
are of the opinion that it is because orchard grass seeds more 
readily there, which may be true. However, the cultural methods 
employed bj^ farmers in this section may have something to do with 
the success attained in raising it. In Oldham County, Ky., the 
average production is about 55,000 bushels, which represents prac- 
tically 6,000 acres, as the yield is about 10 to 12 bushels to the acre. 
The growing of seed in the section referred to is a profitable industry, 
and there are many farmers who engage in it quite extensively with 
uniform success. It is said to be a more profitable crop than wheat, 
and when the harvest of the two conflict orchard grass is given the 
most attention. The average price of seed for the last ten years has 
been about $1.25 a bushel. The seed alone does not represent the 
entire return from the field, for after it " is harvested the meadows 
afford hay or pasture, or both, from which a considerable profit 
accrues. Orchard grass seed is the controlling crop in this section, 
and the cropping sj'^stem is planned to accommodate it. 

100— VI 



Bui. 100, Pt. VI, Bureau of Plant Industry, U, S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



Plate I. 




Fig. 1 .—Harvesting Orchard Grass for Seed. 




Fig. 2.— Method of Shocking Orchard Grass; Shocks Showing Bands at Top. 



OECHARD GRASS SEED. 11 



HARVESTING THE SEED CROP. 



The methods used in harvesting orchard grass seed are practically 
the same throughout the whole country. In general, harvest begins 
about June 16 and lasts about ten days, though when there is a large 
acreage it is often necessary to begin earlier than this, in order to finish 
before the seed becomes too ripe. An inferior quality results from 
cutting the seed before it is sufficiently mature, and this seed is quite 
readily detected by its light-green color. When properly matured 
the seed is straw colored, and not at all green. A common test to 
determine whether the seed is at the proper stage for cutting is to 
beat the heads in the palm of the hand, and if quite a quantity shat- 
ters off it is considered ready to cut. To one unfamiliar with the crop 
it would seem that the waste from shattering would be great. 

Orchard grass is harvested with an ordinary grain binder (PI. I, 
fig. 1), making as small bundles as possible, in order that they may 
cure readily. The bundles are placed usually three in a shock and 
the shocks tied at the top with two bands of straw, one about 8 inches 
below the other (PI. I, fig. 2). They are bound in this way so as to 
make them more stable and to prevent the seed from shattering. The^^ 
shocks are made small to facilitate handling at the time of thrashing, 
and so that they may be easily tied at the top with the straw bands. 
They are left standing from two to four weeks, or until they have had 
time to cure thoroughly, and are thrashed without stacking. On an 
average it takes about 5 pounds of twine for 100 bushels of seed. The 
crop is of such importance tl^at the fence corners and other places that 
can not be reached with the binder are cut with the cradle and bound 
into bundles by hand. 

When the grass is sufficiently tall it is cut from 12 to 14 inches high, 
to avoid the low-growing weeds, such as plantain and sorrel, and also 
clover and bluegrass. Another advantage in high cutting is that it 
leaves more of the undergrowth to be utilized later for hay or pasture. 



THRASHING. 



The common grain separator is used for thrashing with the ordi- 
narjr cylinder and concaves, but with special riddles and with nearly 
all the wind shut off' to prevent too much of the seed from being blown 
over. In hauling the shocks to the machine, racks with tight beds or 
with tarpaulins spread over the bottom are used to catch the seed that 
shatters off, which is usually considerable. This is always heavy seed, 
and is worth saving. Since the shocks are small, a whole one may be 
thrown on the rack at one forkful without breaking the bands. This 
reduces shattering to a minimum. Unless the grass is very weedy 
the thrashing machine cleans the seed sufficiently for the market, but 
most of the larger growers have hand fanning mills, which are used 
when necessary. Seeds like those of redtop are easily blown out, but 

100— VI 



12 OKCHARD GRASS. 

it is harder to dispose of the bluegrass and some of the weed seeds, 
such as plantain and whitetop. From the machine the seed is put into 
8-bushel bags for shipping. Thrashing costs on an average 8 cents 
per bushel, with the customary crew furnished. 

HANDLING THE AFTERGROWTH. 

In cases where orchard grass is cut for seed there is a great differ- 
ence of opinion as to how the aftergrowth should be handled. It is 
generally considered that pasturing is not in the least detrimental and 
even beneficial. As to whether the aftergrowth should be cut for hay 
is an undecided question. It is a common practice, however, to cut 
it, due to the fact that it is depended upon largely for hay, since tim- 
othy and other hay grasses are not grown to any great extent. After 
the grass is cut for seed, especially when it is cut sufficiently high, 
there is alwaj^s considerable green undergrowth. This continues to 
grow, and during the latter part of August or about the first of Sep- 
tember is at the proper stage to cut for ha3^ If there is clover pres- 
ent in the aftergrowth it makes a very fair quality of hay and yields 
from one-half to one ton to the acre. The quality of this hay is not 
so good as that of the haj^'made from the first cutting. 

While it is a general practice to cut the aftermath during the latter 
part of August or September, there are some who prefer to cut it as 
soon as the shocks are removed from the field, as it is believed to be 
better for the following seed crop if it is cut then. It is the opinion 
of some that the aftermath should be cut in any event, and consequently 
if it is not desired for hay it is cut and left on the ground. Others 
are of the opinion that if it is cut at all it materially injures the next 
year's crop, especially so if used for hay, as the two cuttings remove 
a large amount of plant food from the soil without much return. 

Judicious pasturing, to S2ij the least, is not detrimental to the field, 
and in all probability is more or less beneficial. The aftergrowth, 
which comes on after the seed crop is removed, furnishes grazing 
until it is covered with snow, and in the more southern sections where 
the grass is grown lasts nearly the entire winter. Sheep can be verv 
profitably pastured on this aftergrowth and in many cases almost'as 
much money is made from the pasture that it affords the sheep as 
from the seed crop, on account of the length of time which it will 
furnish grazing. At present prices sheep are equally as profitable as 
cattle, if not more so, and can be pastured on orchard grass to much 
better advantage. 

VALUE OF THE STRAW. 

There is much difference of opinion regarding the value as a feed 
for stock of orchard grass straw from which the seed has been thrashed. 
Some state that it is of almost as much value as the hay, but in general 
it is thought to be about equal to wheat straw. Its value depends 

100— VI 



WEEDS IN OECHAED GRASS SEED FIELDS. 13 

largely on three factors: The state of maturity at the time of cutting; 
the amount of aftergrowth, including red clover, contained in it, and 
the success with which it is cured. If the grass is cut before the seed 
is sufficiently mature to harvest, the straw will be of more value for 
feed than when it is cut at the proper stage. The undergrowth which 
is present probably furnishes as much feed as the straw itself, if not 
more, especially when it contains clover. 

It is a common practice to cut the grass as high as possible to avoid 
the weeds and clover, but if it is short there is necessarily a great deal 
of undergrowth (^ut with it. If the grass has not received too much 
rain while in the shock and is stacked properly or put into a barn or 
shed at the time of thrashing, the straw will be of much more value 
than if carelessly handled. In general, there is little attention paid to 
the stacking of the straw, and it is commonly left in piles just as they 
are made by the machine. When utilized for forage it is fed to horses 
or cattle, usually the latter, but is of very little value for sheep. 
Aside from its value as a feed, straw may be used for seeding meadows, 
as previously described. It should never be used for this purpose, 
however, unless thoroughly free from weeds. 

WEEDS IN ORCHARD GRASS SEED FIELDS. 

The weeds which are most troublesome in orchard grass fields, espe- 
cially in sections where seed is produced, are whitetop {Erigeron 
annuus), red sorrel {Rumex acetosella)^ oxeye daisy {Chi'ysanthemum 
leucanthemuTn)^ milfoil {Achillea millefolium)^ and the plantains 
{Plantago lanceolata and P. aristata). Most growers pay much atten- 
tion to keeping these weeds out of their fields and go to considerable 
expense for labor to mow them or cut them out with a hoe just before 
harvest. A method which is now quite commonly used and which is 
most efi'ective and practicable is to pasture the fields with sheep. This 
is an excellent practice and it is comparatively easy to distinguish at 
harvest time between fields that have been pastured in this way and 
those that have not by the absence of weeds in the former. Such 
good results have been obtained by pasturing sheep on the grass to 
keep down the weeds that farmers are raising more sheep than formerly 
and are growing cleaner seed. It is a common practice to turn the 
sheep on in the spring as soon as the grass begins to grow and allow 
them to remain until the early part of May. As the grass advances 
toward maturity the sheep eat very little of it, but graze mostly upon 
the weeds and undergrowth, and especially on the whitetop, which is 
one of the worst weeds present, if not the worst. They do little dam- 
age to the field when it is dry and in wet weg-ther they are kept off, as 
they drag down too much of the grass. Although it is the custom to 
turn the sheep out of the fields in the earlj^ part of May, some of the 
most successful growers leave them in until nearly harvest time. It is 

100— VI 



14 ORCHARD GRASS. 

not uncommon to see sheep in fields that are ready to harvest. When 
it is possible to do so the fields should be pastured late, as this prac- 
tice is more effective in keeping down the weeds, since it takes them 
but a short time to make sufficient growth to interfere with the clean- 
ing of the seed. Cattle are sometimes pastured on fields that are 
intended for seed, but the}^ tramp down too much of the grass and are 
not as satisfactory for this purpose as sheep. 

OTHER GRASSES IN FIELDS INTENDED FOR SEED. 

Much has recently been said regarding the presence of seeds of other 
grasses in orchard grass seed. Those which appear to be the most 
common are meadow fescue {Festuca ^ratensis) and the rye-grasses 
{Lolium pere7ine and Lolium italicum). The seed of these grasses is 
much heavier, but it resembles orchard grass seed to such an extent 
that its presence is not readily detected-. Meadow fescue and rye-grass 
have ver}'^ much the same appearance, but there is no difficulty in dis- 
tinguishing them from orchard grass, as their seed habits and general 
habits of growth are different. If these grasses were present in con- 
siderable quantities in the orchard grass fields in Kentucky, Indiana, 
and western Virginia, where practically oiir entire supply of seed is 
produced, the presence of their seed in orchard grass seed could be 
readily accounted for. The orchard grass fields in these sections, how- 
ever, are almost entirely free from other grasses, and only in a very 
few cases are there an}^ others present, with the exception of some 
Kentucky bluegrass {Poa pratensis) and Canada bluegrass {^Poa com- 
pressa) and a little cheat {^Bromus secalinus) and redtop {Agrostis alba). 
Bluegrass and redtop, especially the former, come in naturall}'' in the 
older fields, and cheat is present practically only the first year, due 
to its having been in the wheat which just preceded the grass crop. 
The quantity of meadow fescue and rye-grasses in these fields is insig- 
nificant, and there are onl}'^ a very few cases where these grasses are 
present at all. The total percentage of other grasses in orchard grass 
throughout the whole seed -producing section is so small as to be hardly 
worthy of consideration, and statements made to the effect that the 
presence of their seed in orchard grass seed is due to the fact that they 
are grown with the orchard grass and can not be separated from it are 
entirely without foundation. Farmers in general are extremely care- 
ful to keep their orchard grass fields free from other grasses, for the 
reason that their seeds are readily detected by buyers and as a conse- 
quence the seed invariably sells at a lower price. It is a comparatively 
easy matter for seed growers to have pure seed for their own sowing, 
and there would be absolutely no advantage to them in growing 
meadow fescue, i-ye-grasses, and other grasses with orchard grass. 



SUMMARY. . 15 



SUMMARY. 



Orchard grass is of considerable value for early and late pasture, 
and in the southern part of the region where it is grown can be pas- 
tured nearly the entire year. When used for pasture, bluegrass and 
white clover are commonlj^ grown with it. 

Orchard grass ha}^ is of value, especially when it contains red clover, 
and can be fed to horses successfully. It is a good forage for cattle 
that are being fattened for market. 

When grown for seed, orchard grass is a profitable crop, as it yields 
on an average 10 to 12 bushels to the acre and sells for $1.25 a bushel. 
Aside from securing a crop of seed, the aftergrowth may be either 
pastured or cut for hay. This aftergrowth makes a very fair quality 
of hay, and when cut during the latter part of August or September 
gives a jaeld of from one-half to one ton to the acre. 

Although not previously stated, orchard grass is quite valuable for 
binding s ils, and on rough land that washes badly it can be used for 
this purpose effectivel3\ 

Orchard grass may be seeded either in the autumn or spring with 
about equally good results. Spring seeding, however, seems to be the 
most common practice. In most cases it is sown broadcast on fall wheat 
on fields that have been in wheat the previous j^ear. One bushel of 
seed is a sufficient quantity when the grass is to be grown for seed. 
When grown for haj^ or pasture, more than this should be used. A 
good catch may be obtained by scattering the straw evenly and thinly 
on fall wheat in early spring. 

Red clover can be profitably sown with orchard grass at the rate of 
1 bushel to 5 or 7 acres. Mixtures of orchard grass with other 
grasses, especially with tall meadow oat-grass and meadow fescue, are 
giving good results for hay and pasture in places where they are being 
tried. 

The average life of an orchard grass meadow is from five to seven 
years, after which it is plowed up, usually late in the fall, and put into 
corn. 

Orchard grass is harvested for seed from about June 15 to June 25. 
It is cut with an ordinary grain binder and bound into small bundles, 
requiring about 5 pounds of twine to 100 bushels of seed. The 
bundles are put three in a shock and bound at the top with a band of 
grass to make them more stable and to prevent the seed from shatter- 
ing. Thrashing is done from the shock after the grass has stood in 
the field from two to four weeks, with an ordinary separator, using 
special riddles. 



16 



ORCHAED GRASS. 



Sheep are pastured on orchard grass in the spring- to keep down the 
weeds. The}^ are sometimes allowed to remain in the field until nearly 
time to harvest. This practice is very effective in keeping clean the 
fields that are grown for seed. 

The percentage of meadow fescue, rye-grasses, and other grasses in 
orchard grass fields that are grown for seed is so small as not to be 
worthy of consideration. 



100— VI 

o 



.BMr'08 



